Sound-conducting device



[No Model.)

' D. 8: E. R. DARRAH. SOUND CONDUCTING DEVICE. No. 566,145. Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

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UNITED STATEs PATENT ()FFICE.

DAVID DARRAII AND EMMA R. DARRAH, OF ST. OLAIRSVILLE, OHIO.

SOUND-=CONDUCTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,145, dated August 18, 1896.

Application filed December 24, 1895 To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, DAVID DARRAH and EMMA R. DARRAI-I, of St. Olairsville, in the county of Belmont and State of Ohio, have invented an Improved Aurophone, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved aurophone or device to aid in hearing.

The object of this invention is to provide a cheap and simple device which can be placed in the ear without inconvenience and which is so constructed as to transmit the soundvibration to an ear-drum, and while it is intended for the use of persons with defective ear-drums it can be applied to the ears in which the drums are sound or good, for the purpose of aiding the transmission of sounds such as would ordinarily not affect the tympanum or ear-drum.

With this object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear the inventionconsists, broadly, in a reticulated or foraminous metallic bodyadapted to be held in the outer ear and the vibrating spring connected with the body and adapted to be projected into the channel leading to the ear-drum, which body and spring are caused to vibrate and intensify the sound-waves before they reach the ear-drum.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction and combination of parts, all of which will be first described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view showing our improved device in use. Fig. 2 shows in section the location of the various parts when arranged for use. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the device detached from the ear.

This aurophone can be used either singly or in pairs, according to whether one or both ear-drums are defective, and the metallic body will be so shaped as to fit the ear, and in general practice we construct the same of such general shape and size as to fit the aver age ear. However, in some cases it may be necessary to make special sizes or forms.

In carrying out our invention we employ 'a metallic reticulated or foraminous body A, which may be in the form of a perforated plate or awire-gauze fabric, as preferred, the metal being of such a character as will readily transmit sound, and in practice we prefer to use silver or platinum.

. Seria1No.573,196, (No model.)

adapted to fit therein, and for the purpose of strengthening the body we construct the same with a rim or border B, so that the same can be readily handled without injury to either the body or the ear. 7

At a suitable point C an opening D is pro duced in the body, and secured in said opening is one end of a spirally-coiled spring E, which spring is also composed of silver or other highly-conductive metal, which spring is adapted to project into the channel leading to the ear-drum, the inner end of said spring resting adjacent to but not touching said eardrum.

Now in operation the aurophone is readily inserted in the ear and requires no auxiliary appliances for holding it in place, and it will be readily understood that all vibrations which strike the body will be intensified and communicated to the coiled spring,which being located in the channel leading to the eardrum will increase the sound in said channel and thereby bring suflicient force to act upon the defective ear-drum, and in cases in which the ear-drum is not defective sounds which would ordinarily not affect said healthy eardrum will affect it, and thus the natural efficiency of the ear-drum is increased for the purpose of hearing sounds minute in their character or traveling very long distances.

Having thus described our invention,what we claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. An improved device to aid the hearing, consisting of a reticulated or foraminous body, and the coiled wire spring connected therewith, substantially as shown and described.

2. An improved device to aid the hearing, consisting of a reticulated or foraminous body shaped to fit the outer ear, and having a coiled wire spring attached thereto, and adapted to project into the channel leading to the ear-drum, substantially as shown and described.

In testimonywhereof we affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID DARRAH. EMMA R. DARRAH.

Witnesses:

T. M. ADAMS, A. A. CLARK. 

